Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor the X-Men. If I did, I would be rich, powerful and have millions of geeks and freaks at my every whim…wait, that would include myself…ah well, on with the show.

"(English)"

Chapter 36

(Time skip)

The Chunin Exam arena was packed. In one section was Naruto's family. The X-Men along with two Avengers were all wearing robes over their outfits.

Cain ignored the complaining civilians who were behind him as he and Kurt were currently devouring the hotdogs that they had brought with them.

Below Ino and Hinata entered the arena. Both were wearing X-Men style body armor.

Ino's hip huggers and battle vest showed her stomach. Her hair was bound by vines and her wrists sported vine bracelets.

Next to her, Hinata wore the black and gold armor with the hip huggers and sleeveless crop tank top. Her blue-black hair hung down her back loosely.

Both girls had gloves sporting the X symbol given to them by Naruto's mother.

BAMF!

Naruto had arrived and he had many of the girls in the stands drooling over him. He was wearing X-men body armor, under his black cargo pants, and his leather duster. He was leaning on his father's quarterstaff and looking around the arena over the top of his sunglasses.

Ino let out a whistle and Naruto grinned. "Hey chere. Lookin' good, non?"

Ino smirked. "Look better tonight." She taunted. The time spent around Laura had done things to Ino's self esteem and she knew that Naruto was going to be hers, she was just going to get there first.

"Hello hime." Naruto said looking at Hinata. He hadn't seen her since Jean took over her training.

"Hello Nartuo-kun." Hinata said, her voice low, sultry. Her eyes hooded as she looked him over in approval and promise.

"You both look very nice."

Shino approached. "Hello."

"Hey Bugs." Naruto said. "Ready to kick ass and take names?"

"Indeed." Shino said and Naruto knew that the Aburame clan was going to be represented well here today.

Naruto saw that someone was missing, but there was someone here who didn't belong.

"What the hell are you doing here Uchiha? You lost in the preliminaries."

"Hn." Sasuke said crossing his arms. Your opponent was killed, the council chose me as the replacement, I should have been here anyway."

Ibiki appeared. "I protest." Naruto said. "This bastard didn't win his match. He shouldn't be placed in, and if a replacement was needed then it should be one of Dosu's teammates. This is blatant favoritism of the Uchiha."

"Settle down. I don't like it any more than you kid. It's a cheap way to put someone in who doesn't deserve it."

"Take that back proctor?" Sasuke said and to the shock of many activated his sharingan.

"Should I be scared Uchiha?" Ibiki said and looked at the competitors. "Alright folks, I am the proctor of the Third Exam of the Chunin Exam. When I tell you the fight is over, you stop. If I give you any orders during the match you will obey them or I will kick your ass from here to the border of Fire Country."

"What happened to Hayate-san?" Hinata asked.

"He's out on medical." Ibiki said.

Ibiki looked over the twelve competitors. "Gaara and Hinata stay, the rest of you, scram."

Hinata stood with her hands at her side. Ino and Naruto stopped and gave her good luck kisses, ignoring the crowd.

"Stay safe hime." Naruto said. Hinata nodded and as he passed reached out and pinched him. She smiled softly as Naruto turned to give her a look. She gave her an innocent expression.

Ino looked at her. "You better kick this Gaara's ass Hinata and come back in one piece."

"You care?"

"Yes. You are part of whatever it is Naruto's putting together. Hell I've spent time with Laura and we've come to an understanding."

Hinata nodded. "Sara and I have as well."

Ino kissed her cheek. "You better win."

Hinata looked at Gaara and tilted her head to the side.

"Mother wants your blood." Gaara said.

Hinata smiled. "That's nice, but it won't be happening." She said. Ibiki looked at the girl and raised his arm. "FIGHT!" he ordered and leapt away.

The cork on Gaara's gourd exploded off and rocketed at Hinata who caught it. "I hope you don't want this back." She said and it burnt to ashes in her hand. She took up the Gentle Fist stance. "I am sorry Gaara-san, but your plans end here." She said and went on the offensive.

XX

Naruto stood in the competitors box and watched as Hinata attacked, where her hands hit sand, he saw said sand being turned to glass and falling to the arena floor. "She did it." Ino said from his left. "I knew Jean would be able to teach her."

"What are you talking about dobe, she hasn't hit him." Sasuke sneered.

Naruto ignored the so called prodigy.

Temari nearby saw it and shared a look with her other brother Kankuro. The girl was cutting thru Gaara's sand defense and rendering the sand unusable to Gaara.

"What is she?" Temari asked aloud.

"My girlfriend." Naruto answered. "Formerly of the Hyuga clan. The lost her because they thought she was weak."

Temari looked down in the field. If this is weak, the invasion is going to fail. She's taking Gaara's ultimate defense apart.

XX

Hinata let herself go, she could feel the fire and smiled at Gaara when his sand got close only to be burned away by the heat shield she was creating. So the heat is nearly seven hundred degrees, but he doesn't know that. She thought as she smacked his sand again and turned it to glass. She was wearing him down and saw the fear in his eyes.

She focused and the tips of her fingers now had heat claws and she slashed.

The sand wasn't quick enough and Gaara screamed as the wound caught him in the neck, his scream was cut short as not only did the attack cut, but cauterize as well.

Hinata didn't slow as she lashed out with the Gentle Fist ultimate technique modified by her and as she struck his chakra points she burned them out as she hit Gaara with all sixty-four strikes.

The red head staggered and he could hear in his mind Shukaku screaming in anger, but couldn't do anything as all his paths were burned shut. The Bijuu could do nothing and the throat would was lethal. Gaara sank to his knees his eyes remembering his life. Perhaps, death will be kinder than life. He thought as he collapsed face first to the arena floor.

"Winner…Hinata!" Ibiki said and checked the kid, and saw he was dead. Well that takes care of the invasion's big weapon we learned about. The head of the Interrogation department thought as medics came to remove Gaara's body. She had him with that throat slice, but how did she know about… he looked up as the former Hyuga was pulled into a hug by a certain blond. Ah, that explains it.

XX

In the Kage box, the Kazekage was not happy. "That girl killed my son."

Hiruzen looked at him. "Yes, well the Chunin exams are dangerous my friend. You remember that one in Suna, where no less then nine people died in the finals."

"Yes, of course."

Damn it. That slip of a girl just ruined years of planning. Orochimaru thought in the guise of the Kazekage. And I can't use the brats death as an excuse.

XX

Shino and Shikamaru were to fight next, Shikamaru gave up before his fight even started to the dismay of the crowd and his teammates.

Naruto shook his head and patted Shino on the shoulder. "You get to face Hinata-chan next round."

Hinata snuggled under Naruto's arm as Ino headed to the stadium floor to face Kabuto.

"KNOCK 'EM DEAD INO!" came from the stands and many people looked at X-23 who gave them the finger.

Naruto chuckled. If they only knew what was to come. He thought his arm around Hinata who was content not to move from the spot she was in.

(Flashback)

"That councilman…Danzo has betrayed the village." Jean said.

They had called the Hokage to the mansion and everyone was pulled in from training. "During the exam he's pulled people off the walls and various areas, he's set it up so a man named Orochimaru can invade the village with Oto and Suna."

The Hokage scowled and had summoned Ibiki. They planned a counter attack and Jean filled them what she learned from her surface scan. "He also has plans for Naruto, Ino and Hinata."

Rogue's snarl put Wolverine's to shame. "Ah'll Kill 'em!" the southern mutant said.

"Looks like that's going to be a hell of a long line momma." Naruto said.

Hinata had been given orders to remove Gaara and if she was ready. She looked at Jean and nodded. If she wasn't she would forfeit and take on the winner of the next round. Shino spoke up. "I could have my bugs feed on him, but if he's like Naruto's chakra it will not run out."

Naruto had explained his experience with the Kyuubi before it died to his team.

"We could have Anbu eliminate him before the finals. Reports are he killed Dosu who was spying on him."

The Hokage thought and before he spoke, Naruto did. "Leave him to us Ojii-san. If Hinata, Shino or Ino don't get him, I will."

The Hokage nodded at this. More plans were put in place, Ibiki had not been happy to be told he'd be in charge of the Third Exam, Hayate was in critical condition at the hospital, they learned from Jean reading his mind that it was Kabuto who had done the job and who he had talked to.

(End Flashback)

Ino was avoiding Kabuto's attacks, the silver haired teen was using chakra scalpels. "Why isn't Ino attacking?" Hinata asked.

"She's a loser." Sasuke said, but was ignored.

"She's leading him in. Look." Naruto said and they saw Ino was leading him towards the tree.

"What does that mean?" Lee asked.

Naruto smiled. "Ino-hime has a few tricks up her sleeve. The weasel is about to find out what they are."

On the floor Ino back flipped away. "You didn't really think I was just going to stand still and let you paralyze me did you?" Ino asked.

When she landed she dropped several seeds and backed up. Kabuto was coming right at her.

"Sorry, but I need to win."

Ino laughed. "No you don't traitor."

Kabuto blinked.

"You don't think we didn't know what you did to Hayate-san? You really suck as a double agent." Ino said and Kabuto knew he had to kill her now. She knows too much.

Ino smirked and made a gesture and Kabuto was wrapped in vines that exploded from the ground. "How?"

Ino laughed and stayed out of range. "Every time I back flipped I dropped seeds." She said. "But that isn't the kicker." She said and made a motion, Kabuto could only watch as the tree came alive and swatted him across the arena where his body impacted with the wall.

The vines burrowed into the wall keeping him in place as Ino came closer. He saw a branch in her hand and watched as it elongated and became a spear.

His mind came across and tossed aside several plans.

"That wouldn't work." Ino said and he blinked, his glasses broken and missing. "How…"

"Do I know what your going to say and what your planning? I'm special." Ino got a serious look and dropped the spear. "I was going to kill you, but that thought just earned you a special pain."

Ino formed several seals and her hand glowed.

"THOUSAND YEARS OF MENTAL TORMENT!" and rammed her hand onto Kabuto's forehead.

For a moment he did nothing, then he screamed and screamed and screamed.

Ibiki appeared next to her. "What was that?"

"A family jutsu. His mind is shredding itself. He'll stop screaming soon, his vocal cords will rupture."

Ibiki blinked as he remembered Inoichi doing something similar during a torture session. "Winner…Ino Yamanaka!"

She smirked and picked up her spear, planning on using it later. "Soon to be Lebeau." She walked back to the competitors box. Ibiki shook his head. Kids. Now I know why I never had any. Teenagers scare the shit out of me.

Ino arrived and took up the other side of Naruto they could hear cheering and all three smirked as X-23, upside down peeked into the box. "Next time…"

"Yes?" Ino asked.

"We sit down and talk." Laura vanished and Naruto looked at Ino. "I missed something, didn't I?"

Ino and Hinata giggled, and the three turned back to watch the fight between Temari of Suna and Konoha's own Rock Lee.

"She's good." Ino said as the girl kept Lee at a distance with her fan attacks, but then the bushy browed buy dropped his weights and it was over as he got in close and Temari was a distance fighter and a hard hit from Lee knocked her out and gave Lee the win.

"I've got him next round?" Ino said with a gulp.

"Don't worry love." Naruto said.

"Hey loser, get in there so I can kick your hide." Sasuke sneered as he sauntered to the stadium floor.

"Remember what the Hokage said Naruto-kun." Hinata reminded him. "Yeah, yeah."

BAMF!

Naruto appeared before Ibiki and looked at Sasuke. Many people were interested in this fight.

Naruto's family leaned forward as did a Kazekage.

Ibiki repeated the rules and raised his arm. "Naruto Lebeau versus Sasuke Uchiha…FIGHT!"

AN: Heh, another cliffy. Look at it this way, Naruto reveals his power and Sasuke realizes being given a walk on into the tournament wasn't a favor. Orochimaru is realizing his plans are messed up with Gaara, wait until the invasion when he sees just how messed up his plan is. (lol) I am eager in the chaos to come.